There have been a myriad of toys developed over the years for children of all ages. Toys are constantly changing in response to the whims of an increasingly sophisticated market. Nevertheless, a toys' lifetime can sometimes be extended if the toy captures the imagination of the child.
Over the years, the toy art shows that children have had a continuing interest in toys that are animated. For example, toys have been developed that have moveable body members, such as shown in Megorden, U.S. Pat. No. 1,486,101. The Megorden reference shows an amphibian creature having a moveable mouth and tail. The mouth of the creature is adapted to open and close, while the tail is adapted to move from side to side. A tongue moves inwardly and outwardly within the mouth as the mouth opens and closes. The movement of the tongue, mouth, and tail is controlled by protruding wheels that rotate as the creature is rolled along a support surface.
Similarly, Saint Pierre, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,759, shows a toy dog having a movable tail, wherein insertion of an object in the dog's mouth engages a lever to operate the tail-moving mechanism.
Consequently, there is a continued interest in the toy art for toys that are life-like and animated. Toys which are life-like and animated can capture a child's imagination. Accordingly, manufacturers are constantly attempting to create animated features in toys that will thrill and entertain children over periods of time.